1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for energy conversion. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for cyclical conversion of an input energy source into the kinetic energy of a magnetic field modulated by vortices, and then into electric energy.
2. Related Art
The following definitions are used herein:
Electrical conductor: Comprised of an assemblage of matter that forms a volume of material with the property of conducting electric current with low loss or no loss.
Diamagnetism: A property of matter where magnetic fields permeate with a reduced degree of penetration, or are repelled, defined here to clarify the definition of vortices used herein.
Vortex (when used, the plural “vortices” is also implied): Comprised of matter forming a area, located within and/or adjacent to a vortex material, that has the characteristic of reduced diamagnetism within said area, relative to a comparatively increased diamagnetism outside said area. The said area may be comprised of an additional dimension establishing a volume. The reduced diamagnetism allows a higher magnetic field density within a vortex, while the area surrounding the vortex has a relatively lower density of the magnetic field.
Vortices are formed by a set of conditions applied to a vortex material. For example, by placing a vortex material, that may be comprised of a superconductor material, in a magnetic field, and transferring heat energy out of the material, urging the material into the superconducting state, vortices form within and/or adjacent to the material. When a vortex forms, the magnetic field density inside the vortex increases, and since the field may be comprised of a total field in an area in which that field is conserved, the magnetic field surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, such that the total conserved field, comprising the field inside and outside the vortex, remains the same.
Vortex material: Comprised of an assemblage of matter within and/or adjacent to which a vortex can form. The vortex that forms may do so because of conditions comprised by the properties of the said vortex material. An example vortex material is a superconductor material. The vortex material may be comprised of an assemblage of various materials that include both superconducting and non-superconducting materials, such that assemblage will produce a vortex. In additional to a material that forms vortices, the other matter assembled may be comprised of materials that include mechanical support, energy flow connections, insulation, and materials that urge an artificial means to predispose the location that a vortex will form.
The vortex material may be re-entrant, meaning that the vortex forms and subsequently dissipates in the vortex material, without any external stimulation. The vortex material may be non-re-entrant, meaning that that a vortex forms and/or dissipates only upon external stimulation. The vortex material may be comprised of materials that exhibit both re-entrant and non-reentrant behavior. The vortex material may be comprised of materials that can be stimulated to form and dissipate vortices by a controlling means that transfers energy into and out of the vortex material.
The vortices that form may be comprised of predisposed dimensions that are determined by the properties of the assemblage of matter that forms the vortex material, and determined by the environmental conditions that the vortex material is operated in. By artificially compelling a plurality of vortices to form at predetermined locations, other vortices nearby will also form at predictable locations nearby the vortices specifically compelled, by virtue of predisposed dimensions of the vortices.
Magnetic field modulation: A change in the density of a magnetic field permeating an area of matter, whereby the change occurs over an interval of time. For example, the formation and dissipation of a vortex will change the magnetic field near where the vortex forms and dissipates. This changing magnetic field over time is a kinetic energy, comprised of a movement of the density of the field, also known as a modulation of the magnetic field, since the field density is moving as time elapses. This may be referred to as field modulation, field density change, movement of magnetic flux, or modulation of the field. All have the same meaning.
Inductor: An electrical conductor formed such that magnetic field modulation nearby the electrical conductor induces an electric current to flow in the electrical conductor.